A kind of Courage
by TiredGreenEyes
Summary: When a rich and powerful man shows up at the garage claiming to be a relative of Ziggy's the Rangers learn that Ziggy's past was not at all what they had expected.
1. Prologue

Alright, I admit it. I may have possibly gotten the idea for this storyline from Fruits Basket manga. But I did kind of see how it could apply to Ziggy… and that seemed pretty cool to me so I thought I'd try it. I do not own Power rangers or Fruitsbasket btw.

* * *

Monday were their day off.

Well, that wasn't quite accurate. Mondays were the days when they were _supposed_ to have the day off- provided Vengix didn't decide to attack the city and that at least 4 rangers stayed within a two mile radius of the garage in case of emergency. However Vengix had been rather quiet recently, and everyone was taking as much advantage of the lull as possible.

Which explained why there was no one there to answer the DOOR.

Dr. K glared in annoyance at the screen which was displaying the security camera outside of the garage door. Gem and Gemma were on the roof doing God-knows-what, Scott and Flynn were off visiting their fathers and the rest of the team had taken off without so much as hinting as to where they were going and when they were getting back and WHY WAS IT THAT NO ONE WOULD ANSWER THE DOOR?

Dr. K stabbed the intercom button so hard that it made her wince. "What?" she barked at the man in the screen.

He turned to stare at her. He was a well dressed man. In the looks department he was rather plain and normal but his three piece suit and sunglasses seemed to compensate for that. He took a moment before replying.

"Yes, is this the residence of the Power Rangers?" he asked politely, as though Dr. K's abrupt answer had been a sweet inquiry.

"It is, not that that's any of your concern." Dr. K finished her spreadsheet and turned her full attention to the monitor. "What do you want?"

The man smiled. "My name is Myron Mears. I'm here to speak to Zignafta Grover. Is he here?"

Zignafta? Ranger Green's name was _Zignafta_? She tried to recall if there were any African roots to such a name but none crossed her mind. Whoever Ziggy's parents were, they must have come up with the monstrosity themselves.

Well it hardly mattered. The only real thing that mattered was that she was here attempting to create technology to save the human race and she was apparently being interrupted by house calls.

"He's not here," she bit out. "Who are you?"

The man held up a card between his fingers. "My name is Myron Myers. I'll put my card in your mail slot here. You can tell Zignafta I was here. Ask him to give me a call would you?" And just like that, before Dr. K could utter another comment, he vanished from view.

She sat back in her chair.

'_Myron Myers? The industrialist?_' she wondered. It had to be. There was no other name as well known in the entire dome… except perhaps, the Cartels and some of the high class that Summer's family associated with. What did he want with Ziggy?

'_Must be something to do with Fresno Bob…_" Dr. K sighed. Just was they needed… as if the rangers didn't have enough problems already without trying to make up with the errors of Ranger Green.

Walking across the parking lot she picked up the small white business card and tucked it into her lab coat. The matter could be discussed later… for now she had projects to complete.

"Whatever it is he wants… I hope it has nothing to do with us." Dr. K mumbled.

Fortunately… it really didn't.

* * *

Leave me a quick line to tell me what you think.

Fe


	2. Is that COFFEE I smell?

They all came back at the same time- the 'originals' that is. Flynn seemed in good spirits, a kind of warm smile on his face while Scott merely looked depressed. Ah how the difference in fatherhood affected the young.

Summer looked to be in the same sort of spirit as Scott. The three slumped into the chairs around the kitchen. Flynn, noticing the weary looks on his teammates faces immediately stepped up and put coffee on. Summer sent him a thank offering by way of a crooked smile.

"Heavens alive," Flynn said as the old coffee brewer began to chew and spit out liquid. "Why do ya even bother visit'n them?"

Scott sighed. "I was trying to get him to consider a new attack." He massaged his temples. "All this silence makes me think that whatever Vengix infiltration happens next is gonna be huge."

Flynn flinched. "Ach, don't say that. I've had a perfectly good day, I have and I don't want to ruin it!"

Summer's smile became a little more gentle now. "So you were unsuccessful," she stated softly. Scott nodded glumly.

"How were your parents?" he asked.

Summer shook her head. "They mean well," she said quietly. "But they're so inept at everything… you know, they've never really had to work before. My Dad went on for an hour about the finer points of janitorial work."

"Your Dad's a janitor?" Flynn asked in surprise. He put a coffee mug in front of Summer, waving away Scott's reach. "Ladies first," he reminded him. He quickly served Scott then sat down himself.

"No," Summer took a sip and laughed a little. "He's the overseer of the company. He's in charge of making sure everyone else is doing their jobs on schedule. And now that he's gotten past the disgust of it all, he's becoming a little obsessed."

"I pity the janitor," Scott murmured, downing his coffee as though it were a whiskey shot.

"Don't we all," Summer said wryly.

At that moment the door banged open and Dillon came in. Ziggy was following him and appeared to be spouting some kind of nonsense. It was a rather comical picture- every time Ziggy got close Dillon would reach out and push him away. Then Ziggy would step up again chattering and Dillon would reach out one arm and push him a few feet away. Ranger Green was apparently one giant yo-yo, yet it didn't seem to bother him much. He brightened when he saw them at the table.

"Gooooood evening fellow rangers!" he exclaimed happily. "Is that COFFEE I smell!" Making an exaggeration motion towards the coffee pot he swung around the kitchen island. "Wow… did you guys have a bad day or something?"

Flynn gave him a look which could only be deciphered as '_Do you have any tack at all, Man?_' Luckily Summer and Scott only nodded.

"Dillon too," Ziggy said opening the fridge.

"Really?" Summer looked at Dillon who shrugged, taking one of the chairs at the table and turning it around to sit in it the opposite way. He rested his chin on the wooden railing.

"It was uneventful," he said.

Summer seemed to accept this. She guessed that any day you spent looking for clues and trying to remember your own forgotten memories would be straining. She immediately felt a little guilty for moping about her own problems.

"Ranger series Green!"

The voice of Dr. K startled Ziggy and he jumped, his head hitting the top of the refrigerator.

"Owwwww!" he removed his head from the door and swung it shut. "You rang?" he asked mournfully. He had a juicebox in one hand.

"Yes," said Dr. K as he raised the straw to his lips. "Someone named 'Myron Myers' was looking for you today."

Ziggy's eyes widened. In surprise he squeezed the box tightly, spraying juice all over himself.

"Nice," Dillon commented with a grin as Ziggy stared at Dr. K.

"Myron Myers?" he repeated. "Myron MYERS? You mean he's actually in the dome! _He_ made it? What did he want?"

Dr. K regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "No idea," she said. She pulled out the card. "He left this for you though. He also said you were to call him."

"Is that Myron Myers the Industrialist?" Summer wondered from her place at the island.

"He's one of the biggest names in the dome isn't he?" Scott asked, looking to Flynn for confirmation. Flynn shrugged.

"I used to know him on the Outside." Summer said, then frowned. "Well… at least… my parents used to know him."

"So why does he want to talk to you?" Dillon asked Ziggy.

Ziggy smiled nervously as every eye in the room turned on him. "No idea, no idea…" he said, trying to sound airy. "Probably a mix up."

"He seemed to know you quite well." Dr. K said without expression. "He called you by your real name."

"Real name?"

The melancholy mood that they had been experiencing seemed to fade away.

"I told you Ziggy couldn't possibly be a real name!"

"Pay up Flynn!"

"Oh come on now-"

"Real name…?" Ziggy looked confused. At Dr. K's look it became horrified. "Oh my gosh, it's really him!"

"Who?" said all the rangers at once.

"I need to use the phone!" Ziggy cried. He dashed from the room. Flynn wrinkled his nose.

"What is all this about Dr. K?" he asked.

The woman shrugged. "I don't know." She glared at Dillon. "But since you were the one who insisted on bailing him out of jail in the first place you're going to be the one responsible for getting him out of this mess if it has anything to do with the Cartels."

"Whatever," Dillon replied. Dr. K turned to re-enter her lab.

"Dr. K, wait!" Scott called. "One more thing,"

Dr. K rolled her eyes. "No Scott, I am not telling you what Ranger Green's real name is."

"What?"

"Oh come on!"

The lab doors firmly slid to a close.

* * *

END Chap 1

In case anyone is wondering, I don't read these carefully when I proofread... which explains the error in the prologue.

If you catch any mistakes, feel free to let me know.

-FE


	3. no abbrieviated names

I honestly never wanted to write a story this long... but it's sort of how it's turning out. In any case, the chapters are short, so it's probably not as long as it seems.

I should have mentioned the disclaimer before- this story has references and ideas from Power rangers rpm and fruitsbasket, as well as a brief quote from 'Ever After.' :) I grow tired of writing that in every chapter so this is my once and done disclaimer for the whole story.

* * *

The card was still in Ziggy's pocket. Sometimes when he reached in for change or a stick of gum, his fingers would run across it's edge and he would frown, remembering.

It wasn't like he hadn't tried to call. But the moment the secretary had answered, her tone business-like and clipped the phone had immediately connected with it's cradle before he even realized he'd hung up.

What was it that he wanted? Ziggy knew that the rest of the rangers suspected that the Cartels were involved… but it wasn't like that at all. He didn't owe Myron Myers anything… or at least not as far as he could see.

'_He never cared much about what I was doing before…_' Ziggy sighed, staring out the window of Dillon's car. '_Why now?_'

That was the million dollar question.

"You okay?" Dillon asked. Ziggy nodded.

"Sure. Why?"

Dillon half shrugged. "You're never this quiet."

Ziggy grinned. "Sorry to worry you,"

"I wasn't," Dillon said immediately, switching gears. He glanced again at the passenger seat. "You weren't hurt were you?"

Ziggy shook his head. "Na. Actually I was a little disappointed. You'd think that Vengix would have come up with something better after all this time."

"Don't be too sure he hasn't." Dillon muttered. "Maybe this was just a test run."

Scott backed in the garage first, followed by Flynn. Dillon went to follow but was cut off by a yellow motorcycle. He swore and hit the steering wheel.

"Touché," Ziggy looked mischievous.

"Don't you say a word," Dillon growled.

Ziggy hopped out of the car, swinging around. He stopped when he saw all the rangers in a circle around the screen.

"What happened?" he asked, running over. "Is it another attack?"

Flynn and Gemma moved aside to make room. Ziggy stepped into the circle and his heart promptly sank into the middle of his stomach.

They weren't staring at the screen. They were staring at the man in front of it.

"Hello Zignafta," said Myron pleasantly. "I see you're back."

Dillon stepped behind Summer and stared at the man in the green tie. "What's going on?" he asked Summer. She shook her head.

Ziggy took his knapsack from his shoulder and dropped it on the floor. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a soft voice.

Mr. Myers looked unsurprised. "You never called me back Zignafta. That's bad manners. Didn't I teach you that the proper response time for any message is-"

"As soon as humanly possible," Ziggy finished. "I remember."

Myers smiled. "Of course you do. Ari taught you well, after all," he glanced at the rest of the rangers, standing around. "Ari is Zignafta's mother."

"My name is Ziggy."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can't stand abbreviated names, you know that."

"It's not abbreviated," Ziggy said walking through the crowd to the refrigerator. "I changed it when I came to Corinth City. It's on my ID card and everything."

Myers laughed, a forced sound. "That would explain why trying to find you was so difficult."

"Ziggy, what's going on?" Summer asked, looking from one man to another. "Who is this man?"

"And how did he get into our base?" Scott asked, looking at the man sternly.

"I allowed him to enter to wait for Ranger Green," Dr. K said, coming from her lab. "I saw no harm in it, and I assumed that whatever situation he has with Ranger Green would be better solved sooner than in later circumstance."

"Just what beef do you have with Ziggy?" Dillon asked dubiously.

Mr. Myers looked at Ziggy. "Just one," he said.

_**BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!**_

Alarms. The red light was flashing and they had to leave.

Myers looked at Ziggy.

"You're busy. I don't have time for this nonsense either. Call me this time, won't you?"

He walked out.

"Ziggy, come on!" Dillon grabbed him by the shoulder, practically shoving him into his car. "Dr. K, where are we going?"

"Sector 34B!" Dr. K yelled, going to her computer. "Vengix attack bot is trying to infiltrate the migration of water!"

"Meaning what exactly?" Scott's voice crackled over his radio as they took off out of the garage.

"He means that Vengix is attacking the city's food sup-"

Dillon reached out and switched the radio off.

"Hey!" Ziggy protested. "We might need that!"

"Forget that," Dillon said. He looked at Ziggy, peeling out of the garage. "Who is that guy!"

The squealing of tired completely drowned out Ziggy's reply. In a moment they were speeding down the Corinth City streets. Ziggy threw on his seat belt and shot a look at Dillon.

"You heard!" he said. "His name is Myron Myer-"

Dillon made a dangerous turn, making the car swerve dangerously. "That's not what I mean and you know it!" he shouted over the engine. "Who is this dude? Do you owe him money or something?"

Ziggy looked disgruntled. "I don't know what he wants."

"Then why did you hide away from him?"

"It's not as easy as you think," Ziggy shot back. "He and my sister-"

"-_SISTER_?"

They'd arrived on site. Dillon stepped out of the car looking at him darkly.

"We'll finish this later," he said.

"Oh, I can't wait," Ziggy muttered sarcastically.

"Black, Green, where are you?" Scott's voice crackled through their wrist communicators.

The field of Corinth city. Ziggy found it hard to believe that in their age of modern technology they actually had to grow things the old fashioned way.

Apparently the new robot found it easy… and convenient to believe.

Dillon looked out at the fields, seeing a large cloud, like a chemical dust swarming over the northern plain.

"This doesn't look good," he muttered.

Just then, from the center of the fog, the Attack Bot appeared. He was just as ugly as the rest of the lot, maybe even more so. He had two large horns that trailed down from his head to his knees, apparently in order to plant chemicals in the ground.

And of course… he had grinders.

Lots and lots of grinders.

"Let's do this," Dillon said. Ziggy nodded and they both took the activation cards from their necks.

"RPM!

_GET IN GEAR_!"


	4. from green to glory

A very big thanks to the kind reviewer who gently informed me that I've been spelling Vengix's name wrong. You know... I did wonder why it looked so strange on paper... XD

* * *

Scott appeared by their sides, a red blur and a scrape of metal hitting metal, street saber to grinder. Gemma did a couple of graceful backflips and a kick that cleanly detached a grinder's head from it's body.

"Where's everyone else?" Dillon yelled.

"They were in Flynn's jeep- they got here before us and went to the Northern field!" Scott yelled.

Dillon punched a grinder and sent it flying. "Well why didn't you follow them?"

Scott laughed. "What, and get my _car _dirty? Flynn's jeep can handle it."

Ziggy grinned as he swung his ax. "Jeeze Scott, way to take one for the team, ya know?"

"I still think the fact that we all have conversations during battle is weird, don't you?" Dillon said in a light, sarcastic manner as he punched a hole straight through the grinder.

Ziggy paused in his swing and looked towards the northern fields. There was no sign of activity, no sign of anything at all. For whatever reason, it made him suspicious.

"I'll be right back!" he shouted to the rest as he ran towards the fog.

"Oh sure, no problem just take off!" Scott said huffily.

"We've got your back!" Gemma added sweetly, missing Red's tone.

Ziggy ran towards the mists. At first he had thought maybe it was some sort of steroid mist that the dome had sprayed themselves, but the dense and thick air seemed toxic somehow. Immediately he remembered the attack bot's horns.

'_Could it have affected the air?_' he wondered. Luckily his helmet kept his oxygen supply safe. He looked down at the plants around his feet. He couldn't say the same for them. Most of them had withered, their leaves turning completely black.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a yellow shirt.

"Summer!" he called. He ran towards her.

He was astonished to see her without her suit. "Summer?" he came close. She was awake, but unresponsive and seemed to be stumbling through the mists. He called her name again and she didn't answer. She continued to walk by, coughing and holding her sleeve in front of her face.

"Summer!" he grabbed her shoulder. She stumbled, falling to one knee. "Summer… it's me Ziggy!"

She coughed.

'_The air… is it toxic_?' he remembered their episode, when Vengix had tried to affect the air and all the men in the dome had fallen asleep. Whatever had the power to wither plants certainly had the ability to seriously harm a human being. He lifted his wrist to his face.

"Dr. K, it's Ziggy. Summer's sick!"

"What?" Dr. K's voice sounded incredulous.

"She's sick… that robot released something in the air to kill the plants. I need to bring Summer to a hospital or… or something. Can you give me coordinates?" No way was he risking ending up in a bank vault when Summer could be in real danger.

"Bring her to the lab. We have a medical emergency station. It should be enough to equip one ranger."

Ziggy felt a shiver go down his spine. "I don't think there is one ranger doc."

"What?"

Ziggy looked around. "I'll teleport her in." he said. Pressing the contact button, he leaned down to Summer. "Summer… where's Flynn?"

She didn't answer. She squinted at the ground, still holding a sleeve to her face.

"Summer! Listen, I need you to tell me where Flynn and Gem are!"

Summer swallowed. She seemed to nod her head slightly in a backward direction. Ziggy took a deep breath. He couldn't afford to leave Summer in this condition longer than necessary, but he couldn't leave without knowing if Flynn and Gem were safe. He wouldn't be able to pinpoint where his teleport would land him when he returned, and he might loose them completely.

Ziggy took a deep breath. In an instant he tore off his helmet, pushing it onto Summer's head. It was against policy and it didn't fit her perfectly- but there was a stream of air flowing into it that would protect her until he came back.

Immediately he ran off into the fog, his eyes stinging, the very air seeming to grab at his naked skin and make him itch. Already, he felt like his lungs might burst. He ran, praying for a miracle, unable to yell out their names, and not sure if it would do any good.

The sight of the blue jeep almost made him gasp in relief. They couldn't be far. He peered in the windows but no one was inside. He quickly hopped in and pushed the button for the air. The moment it was on he gasped. Immediately the small amounts of toxins that had came into the car with him burned his lungs- but the cool air coming from the car revived him.

There had been a day- not too long ago, when Flynn had heard the crazy stories of how Ziggy had failed his driver's tests and had told him that he was 'not to even think' about trying to drive his jeep'.

"Given the circumstances, I don't think he'll mind," Ziggy muttered. He flicked on the lights.

He drove. He was terrified to go more than 10 miles per hour. Scott's voice crackled through his wrist communicator to report but he ignored it.

Then he saw it-

Gem, looking like the very life had been sucked out of him- staggering along while Flynn carried him, one arm thrown around Gem's shoulder. Ziggy jumped from the jeep.

"Flynn!" he shouted. The air around him seemed to create black lights in front of his eyes. He grabbed Flynn's arm. He seemed confused at first, and tried to pull Gem back from Ziggy, as though he were an enemy.

"It's okay!" he was out of breath now- he couldn't risk breathing in. Luckily Gem realized who he was. He helped him carry Flynn to the jeep and they put him in the backseat. Gem tumbled in and Ziggy snapped on his seat belt. He put his head directly to the air vent and sucked in his next breath. It seemed to burn inside him. It would have to do.

'_Summer… where are you_?' he thought. He drove back to where she had been and found that she had crawled a few meters away.

He drove them out of the toxins, to the other side of the field, throwing open the doors and letting them suck on fresh air. Then he teleported them to Dr. K.

She was furious with him.

"What happened?" she snapped. "My computer said that your suit was disconnected.

"I took off my helmet," Ziggy explained. He coughed. Even the small amount he had breathed in seemed to make his lungs ache.

Dr. K looked the rangers he had brought. She immediately ran to a cabinet and began to pull out oxygen masks.

"Ziggy, I need you to teleport back and get me an air sample."

He immediately disappeared. Dr. K arranged the machinery. The crackle of Dillon, Scott, and Gemma's fighting crackled through the communication systems. Ziggy reappeared, a bottle, tightly corked, in his hand.

"Perfect," she snatched it from him. "Now… how much of it did you breathe in?"

"A bit," Ziggy said, coughing. "See you later."

"What?" Dr. K turned. "Ranger Green-"

But he had already gone.

* * *

Don't you love cliffs? XD


	5. You'll suffer the consequences

We're starting!

* * *

Between their combined Megazords, the rangers managed to defeat the attack bot. Still, they could not say that their wage had been successful.

The robot had managed to release a toxin on the entire North field- which made up 33% of the city's food supply. Not to mention, it had done significant damage on the Blue, Gold and Yellow rangers health. Dr. K stood at her computer, measuring the results of her patients.

"There's no doubt about it," she said as she exited the screen. "If you hadn't removed them you did… the damage would have been permanent. Deadly."

Normally Ziggy would have made some joke about his worthiness to the team, but the statement sobered him. Dillon and Scott looked at him gratefully, and Gemma, who been utterly horrified when she saw her brother looking so weak, nodded from her place. The experience had given them all a scare- never had a mission gone so dangerously wrong.

"This toxin," Dr. K held up the sample. "Has a molecular structure like I've never seen. The data alone should-"

"Doc," Dillon said from his place next to Summer. "Did you find an antidote or not?"

Dr. K looked slightly affronted at having been interrupted, but nodded. "Yes, it's being administered right now through their masks. It may take a few days- maybe even a week in Gem's case- but they should all recover completely. Actually they may even have immunity to certain chemical forms of this product."

Ziggy breathed a sigh of relief. "Well good," he said, stretching. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to make up all that food supply."

"We can do that in the morning," Scott smiled a little, abet weary. "As long as Summer, Gem and Flynn are okay, we should get some rest. If Vengix decides to wage another attack, we're the only people up for the team."

"I don't predict any attacks for a period of time," Dr. K said, turning to her computer. "The amount of energy used to create that robot may have put their systems to a setback. Of course, that is merely speculation. For tonight however, the city is safe. I will notify Colonel Truman to be on the alert… and to have protective masks, if necessary."

"Perfect," Scott rubbed his hand wearily through his hair. "If you guys want to sit up a bit, be my guest. Personally I'm whacked."

"Same, mate," Ziggy stood. Dr. K cleared her throat.

"Ranger green, I need you to stay behind for an administering of the antidote."

"What?" Ziggy stared. "But… I'm okay. I mean, I don't feel as bad as I did."

"An overnight stay will suffice. As you say, you were not as badly affected. This is precautionary."

Ziggy started to argue but shrugged. "I don't care. Just lead me to a bed and I'm amazing."

Dr. K motioned to the small couch, the only available space left in the room. "How bout there?'

"Perfect," Ziggy sank onto the couch and accepted the mask. He pulled it over his head and felt his eyes start to twitch.

'_Funny… I think I was worried about something else before the mission… can't remember… must not have been important…_'

* * *

_Sometimes, when Ziggy dreamed, he knew he wasn't really dreaming- only remembering. It was a strange feeling, like images were floating in front of his eyes; wavering; shimmering._

_ Shivering__. _

_ Suddenly he was seven years old, and he was sneaking half his meal into his napkin. His mother didn't notice- she had left the table to make a phone call. Mr. Calvin, the attendant, was in the kitchen._

_ When his plate was clean he slid down from his chair and walked out of the room and to the hallway. Carefully and quietly, he opened up the closet. Then he ducked underneath the coat and grabbed the shoes in the very back of the closet. Taking the food out of the pockets, he shoved the bread in a pair of pumps, the potato in a work boot and the diced pear in it's wet napkin into the pair of tennies. He put the shoes as far back as he could and ducked back out of the closet, shutting the door. He walked into the kitchen again._

_ His mother was just getting off the phone. _

_ "That was your Father," she said. She stood in front of her chair and immediately Mr. Calvin appeared to push it in for her. He removed the napkin from the table and placed in on her lap. She motioned for him to pour._

_ "He's coming to the Spelling Bee tonight," she said as she sipped her drink. She looked at him, and Ziggy swallowed, trying to be perfectly still. His mother was beautiful, with strange light colored eyes that reminded him of a tiger; always stalking it's prey._

_ She stared at him for a long moment before she set down her glass. _

_ "Don't fail me tonight," she said finally, cutting into her meat and raising a piece to her mouth._

_ Don't fail me… __**or you'll suffer the consequences**__._

_ That was what she really meant._

* * *

Scott was up before everyone the next morning- through he couldn't see why. Fighting Grinders and that attack bot made him feel like his entire body had turned into jelly. He threw on his coat and went downstairs.

Dr. K was running a scanner down Flynn's torso. She was looking to a screen positioned on his right, which was giving her the results of her medical evaluation.

Scott looked at the three patients and at Ziggy who was dozing on the couch.

"How is everyone?" he asked.

"Except for Ranger green, everyone's health report is almost the same," she said frowning. Suddenly there was a beeping overhead, signaling that someone was trying to reach them through the online communicator. They all looked up to the television screen, which had Colonel Truman's face.

"Dad?" Scott asked. He moved around the bench. "What's going on?"

Colonel Truman looked at them.

"Have you seen the news?" he asked.

"The news?" Dr. K repeated, wrinkling her forehead. "Why?"

"I think that Ranger green should see this," Truman said.

"Ziggy?" they both looked automatically to the young man, passed out on the couch.

"Just look. Channel 4." Truman signed off.

* * *

Next chapter we find out Ziggy's relations to mystery man. :D

review?


	6. Dinner would be great

You know, the other day I told a riddle to some friends and I was kind of amazed at how much fun it was to hold the answer over their heads (ha, I'm evil.) But telling a story is much the same way. You hold the story over the readers heads... and make them wonder what happens next.

BTW I'm reading a book called, "My name is Asher Lev" which is amazing. If anyone is looking for something fun to read.

Although... I guess I should hope that you're reading this for fun too... XD

* * *

Myron Myers was sitting on the Meghan O'Reilly show.

Dr. K looked absolutely floored by the TV studio.

"What is this?" she asked, confused. "Is it a documentary?"

Scott didn't feel like explaining all the details. He stared at the screen, with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Dillon and Gemma appeared.

"What's going on?" Dillon asked.

"Shh!" Scott intoned. They all stared intently at the screen.

"We understand that Ranger series Green has just saved the lives of three other members of his team." Meghan O'Reilly was saying as the studio audience began to cheer and clap. Myron Myers looked on with a pleased smile.

("The news found out already?" Dillon asked. They shushed him. He rolled his eyes.)

"Yes, I have to say, I'm quite impressed," he gave a small laugh. "I never would have expected anything like this, judging on what he was like as a child."

Meghan smiled. "You mean Ranger Green did not grow up with the qualities he now has?"

At that moment a picture flashed on screen, causing them to stare.

"Is that Ziggy?" Dillon exclaimed.

"It is!" said Gemma.

"No way," said Scott.

But it was. A child Ziggy, skinny and scrawny as ever, but looking serious and still as he sat on a bench, his hands folded on his lap wearing a tiny three piece suit.

"Oh what a perfect little gentleman!" cooed Meghan O'Reilly.

"Yes, but such a troublemaker!" laughed Myers. "What you don't see in the picture is that not even an hour later he had managed to spill orange juice all over his lap."

"Tell us more about your present story," Meghan said. The studio audience looked eagerly at the stage in anticipation.

"Oh, well that's quite a story," Myers said crossing his leg over the other. "Of course, you know that we've all lost someone- a relative or a friend who was unable to make it to the dome city before the gates were closed… or who were taken by Vengix."

There was a quiet pause at this, perhaps intended to be solemn.

"I came to the city with my wife and our two children, Marisol and James. By this time, Zignafta and I had been distant for some time, perhaps at the insistence of his mother."

"I had heard, of course, of the Power Rangers. There is no one in this City who does not know or appreciate their bravery," he winked at the audience. "Am I right?"

Applause. The rangers barely noticed it, intent as they were to hear what was coming. Dr. K stared at the screen sideways, as if suspicious of this man's intent.

"Imagine my surprise when I'm watching the news one day, and someone had managed to capture footage of the two newest members of the Power rangers team, and I see my own son standing up there as Ranger series Green!"

At this all four of their mouths dropped open. Scott's eyes looked fit to bust out of his head.

"His _son_?" Dillon asked incredulously. "_Son_?"

The audience mean while, was cheering.

"That must have been such an incredible experience, to realize that your son, not only is alive, but has become one of our city's biggest heroes!" Meghan was gushing.

"Yes, it was," Myers agreed. "Actually, I finally got to see him in person just the other day."

"He must have been overjoyed!"

Myers smiled. "He was more shocked than anything, I believe. It's one thing to hear claims that your father is alive, another to see him entirely. As I understand, his mother, Ari, is gone and he must have been on his own for some time."

"A beautiful story about a reunited family," said Meghan O'Reilly, her mascara running.

"Oh please!' said Dr. K said under her breath, rolling her eyes. She reached out and switched off the TV. They all stared at one another.

Myron Myers…. Ziggy's Dad?

"I can't believe it," muttered Scott.

"Believe it,"

They all turned to stare at him. Ziggy was taking off his face mask. He had a quiet and grim look about him. "It's true."

Dillon immediately walked over, crossing his arms and staring down at him. "Your Dad has been alive, inside the Dome this whole time?"

"Why didn't you say something?" asked Gemma from the seat she'd pulled up from the kitchen.

Ziggy shook his head. "Because… we don't really talk to each other. I thought he didn't want anything to do with me."

"He's your _Dad_," Scott said waving a hand. As demented as the relationship was between his own father and himself he still couldn't understand this. "Why wouldn't he want anything to do with you?

Ziggy half shrugged.

"Ranger Green," Dr. K said suddenly. "Who is your mother, in relation to your father?"

Ziggy sighed. "She was his mistress," he said, leaning back and scrubbing his face with one hand. "Growing up it was my half sister Mari, the child of his wife, and me, the child of his mistress. We're pretty close in age."

The whole thing seemed to make more sense suddenly to the other rangers and they looked at him with a compassion he didn't like to see.

"Hey, I grew up in a very privileged family," Ziggy snapped. "I had everything."

They continued to stare. He got to his feet, stretching his arm and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm going upstairs," he said walking past them.

"What about your Dad?" Dillon asked.

Ziggy paused. He shrugged in a manner that suggested not that he didn't care- but that he didn't want to.

Dr. K returned to the examination tables. Gemma followed. Scott grabbed Dillon's arm.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something he's not telling us?" he muttered.

Dillon attempted a wry smile.

"That's easy..."

* * *

_Where am I?_

_ Dark room… but still… a familiar smell._

_ That's right, this was the closest._

_ How long had he been in here? He couldn't tell. He felt into the toes of the shoes to discover there was nothing there- empty. His stomach growled. _

_ 'Is she gone?' he wondered. He couldn't risk trying to pick the lock until he was certain his mother had gone out. _

_ No sound._

_ Slowly he inched forward and touched the doorknob. He fumbled in his pocket until he felt the bobby-pin. Then he brought it to the knob._

_ Immediately the door swung open and he was being drug across the carpet by his hair. He screamed._

_ "Shut up!" she yelled, throwing him across the room. "Shut your mouth!"_

_ Terrified, the boy looked up into the face of a tigress, into the cold, cruel and calculating eyes of his mother. _

_ 'You are a failure.'_

_

* * *

_

He picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card. While it rang, he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

His father's voice answered, fourth ring.

"What- no secretary?" Ziggy blurted.

Myers laughed, "I knew it was you."

Ziggy swallowed again. Now that he was here, he didn't know what to say.

Okay, that was a lie.

"Why did you do that?" he asked quietly. "Oh the television, I mean."

"Because I wanted to."

The answer was immediate and without apology.

"Have you heard from Mom?" Ziggy asked. "Did she really not make it in the dome?"

"You mean you haven't tried to find her yourself?"

Ziggy pressed a hand you his forehead. He turned towards the wall, leaning against it for support. "What is it that you want from me?"

A pause, then-

"Dinner,"

"What?"

"Dinner… tonight. The Five Star motel. Do you know it?"

Know it? Yes he knew it. He had practically lived in that motel when he was in with Fresno Bob.

"Yeah, I know it," he said lowly.

"Then I'll see you there,"

Ziggy heard the click and the dial tone. Swallowing he threw it across the bed.

'_What does he really want…?_'

Myers had never answered the question.

* * *

Hmm... how is this going to work? Will dinner go okay? WILL ZIGGY BE REUNITED WITH HIS DAD? (will the author finally get on with the story?) Bum bum BUMMMMMM!

r&r


	7. Sleepy Scottsmen

Just the other day I was taking my little sister to marching band practice. Now, something to know about me- I am a teacher. Yes, that's right, a recently certified teacher (May God help me)

And I says to her, "Let me get this straight… you have to go every week all summer to band practice, and march around all evening in the sun for 3 hours, worry about whether you can go on vacation on not because missing too many practices (her grade and her position as 1st clarinet will drop if she misses more than 3 practices)

"… you mean to tell me that all schools do this for BAND an extracurricular or chosen activity, but for Math and English and Science… you don't have to think about them at all during the summer unless you're in an AP course."

To which she replied: "Exactly."

This chapter is specifically dedicated to the reader who is in the band. Thanks to my sister, I think I can understand your pain. Good luck

* * *

Dillon was sitting beside Summer.

Gemma was asleep on the little couch, waiting on her brother.

Scott, claiming he would go completely crazy if he didn't do something soon, was washing and waxing every car and operable device in the garage, including Ziggy's scooter.

Dr. K was going over the math for the antidote she created, pretending not to be concerned.

And Flynn was cracking his eyes open.

"Mm… I think that grinder hit me a wee bit too hard…" Flynn said faintly, his accent thick and slurred.

"Dr. K!" Dillon jumped from his seat. The small woman rushed over, scanner in hand. Flynn looked at her confused as she waved it over his face.

"Sakes alive…" he murmured. "What's all the fuss about?"

"You've been out cold for hours," Dillon said with a rather uncharacteristic grin. "I better get our fearless leader in here."

Flynn peered up at Dr. K, wrinkling his brow. "Knocked out cold, was I? Ach, can't say that's ever happened before," he tried to sit up and only managed to get a centimeter off the bed before he fell back again.

"The Venjix attack-bot released a harmful toxin into the air which had a rather negative side effect on you and the series Yellow and Gold ranger systems, knocking you completely off the air," Dr. K explained. She tucked the scanner in her lab coat.

Flynn was becoming more alert. "You mean Gem and Summer?" he turned his head and seeing Summer at his side, looked a bit green. "They'll be alright?"

Dr. K nodded just as Scott burst in the room. "Flynn!" he came up beside his oldest teammate, grabbing his shoulder and grinning. "You're okay!"

"Aye… just a bit disoriented."

Scott and Dillon swapped smiles and pounded their fists. Even Dr. K's lips twitched upward, a definite sign of success.

"Where's Ziggy?" Flynn asked finally, his voice almost normal. "Shouldn't he be crowded about my sick bed as well?"

Suddenly Dr. K's fingers topped clicking in her keyboard and Gemma looked at her worriedly.

"Isn't be back yet?" she whispered softly. They all stared at her. Gemma shrugged. "I saw him leave through the side door, but… I thought he'd be back by now. Thought… he just went to clear his head."

Dillon and Scott shared a look with one another. Scott gave him a small nod and Dillon grabbed his coat from the back of the chair he'd been sitting on and marched through the door. A moment later they heard the engine of his car fire up and the tires squeal theatrically as he sped away.

* * *

He couldn't remember which fork to use.

Not that it really mattered… the food here was completely finger food and almost impossible to eat even with a fork. But that was the idea… it proved how well bred you were- could you use a fork to eat something that was entirely meant to eat with your hands?

He carefully picked up his cloth napkin and spread it over his lap. When his host picked up their fork he quickly followed suit.

'_Of course… you start on the outside and work your way in,_' he remembered suddenly. '_Duh._'

He looked across the table, sweating a bit at the loathsome glare he received. Not that he could really blame her… he felt like doing some glaring himself.

It was his sister-_his sister_- who he had not seen in almost a decade who had shown up tonight. When he had come to the restaurant he had been prepared to meet his Father. Sure he was nervous as hell, but he was ready. He was even ready to see some of Fresno Bob's croanies or other thugs who would probably send him death glares all evening.

He hadn't expected to be met with a very angry and familiar looking brunette.

And really, could he blame her for being upset? There she was, set up for life, and all of a sudden he had come prancing in again, threatening to steal the thing they had fought over for so long.

Well, that wasn't really true.

"Okay, so… just so you know," Ziggy said, spinning his fork like a pencil around his fingers. "I really don't want to be here either. In fact, if Da… er… Myers… hadn't insisted on it, I would have preferred my life to keep going the way it was."

Marisol snorted. She took a sip of wine from her glass. "Well this meal that Father 'insisted' on apparently wasn't as important to him as his business deal that he's wrapping up."

Ziggy swallowed. To his surprise, that actually stung.

'_Stop_,' he warned himself. '_You went through hell to get out of this family, don't go thinking you want it again. You're here to find out what he wants and disappear.'_

Marisol looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Are you honestly going to sit there and try to pretend that you don't know what this is all about?"

Ziggy stopped his fidgeting and stared. "But I _don't_ know what this is about."

"The hell you don't!" she snapped. For a moment Ziggy was thrown back in time, and he suddenly saw her as a fourteen year old, with her hair perfectly curled as she stood in front of the podium and told the audience that her dream was to be a Paleontologist and win the Nobel prize for science. She had smirked at him as he waited behind the curtain for his turn, his hands shaking so hard they were crushing his own essay.

_And he had left her win. On purpose that time_.

_Not that he'd never done it on purpose before, but that was the first time he had truly wanted to._

And suddenly… he knew.

"Dad's reconsidering me for the inheritance," he breathed softly, in amazement. Marisol's eyes glittered dangerously.

"That's right," she said quietly as she stabbed a potato, rather unladylike. "Father is impressed with how you saved the lives of the other rangers and is now reconsidering giving a share of the inheritance to you."

"A share of it?" Ziggy asked in surprise.

"What, you want the whole thing?"

He shook his head. "No…" he paused, looking for words. "But if it's only a share, you have no reason to be so angry. You'll still get millions of dollars and probably won't even miss whatever it is I would get."

His sister. That's right, she was his_ sister-_ there sitting elegantly across from him with blue eyes, long hair wrapped up in some sort of elegant bun and enough make-up to cover ten girl's faces. He looked at her plate and realized that while she had been 'eating' she really couldn't have eaten more than a few bites the entire meal.

'_Mari… what have they done to you?'_

But she was angrily talking again.

"Oh so now you want it?" she said as she played with her salad. "Only a few moments ago you said you wanted nothing to do with this family-"

"Mademoiselle Myers?" the waiter appeared.

Marisol threw her napkin on the table and stood. To his complete astonishment, Ziggy stood also, entirely without thinking.

'_Holy crap… I guess I do remember a thing or two from those stupid etiquette classes…_'

"What?" she snapped at him.

"A message from your _Père_," he had a small card on his tray. She snatched it and tore it open. Glancing at it, she dropped it on the table.

"He was going to meet up with us for the second course but has canceled," she walked towards the door and beckoned for the waiter to fetch her coat. "Forgive me if I do not feel inclined to finish out dinner without obligation."

And so, without another word, she rushed out.

And nearly ran over Dillon as she did.

Dillon stared at her, and at Ziggy who was still standing over the elegantly set table. Dillon stepped over.

"What's all this?" he asked in an angry voice. Then, seeing the food his continence seemed to abruptly change. He raised his eyebrow and looked at Ziggy as he reached out and grabbed a tiny potato and popped it in his mouth. "Ziggy… are you on a date?"

Ziggy laughed a little. Actually he felt more like dying.

"What on earth would make you say that?"

Dillon looked halfway between curiosity and annoyance. He shrugged.

"Pretty fancy for finger food".

Ziggy didn't even have the strength to explain himself.

What in Corinth City was he getting himself into?

* * *

End of chapter. :)


	8. Remembering

He hadn't always gone to the private school with the swimming pool and the sweeping staircases that resembled a ballroom more than an education building. He could remember a time, when he was very young when he'd gone to a public school in the city. It was horribly run down and half the windows were covered over with boards because kids kept throwing rocks through them and the school didn't have enough money to pay for new ones. It was typical city elementary school- the older children trying to behind they didn't care because it was easier than admitting they did and the younger children trying to imitate the older in order to be accepted. It was like that in almost every classroom, except one.

First grade. Now there was a lark. Ms. Beaden was the first grade teacher and they all loved her. She drew pictures, she sang songs, she took them on walks to look at old buildings and during art time she let them post butcher paper to the walls and paint on them. She seemed to see them all as individuals and not as a group, and she had compassion even for the lowest, smelliest, dirtiest kid with the runny nose.

And in comparison to that kid was Ziggy, the hyperactive five year old.

At home he had to put on his best clothes and sit at a table and use the right fork and never speak unless spoken to. When he went home there were swim lessons and soccer practice and a private session with a French tutor. At home, he had to go visit his father every Thursday and listen, unmoving as his Father read to him the business section of the New York Times. And when Myron Myers, the famous industrialist of the world finally reached the last word on the last page, he would pause, look at his two children sitting side by side, completely motionless on the burgundy loveseat and ask them what they thought about it. And if-God forbid- Marisol answered before Zignafta did or said something more witty and intelligent, then little Zignafta would ride home in his mother's jeep in complete silence and wait for the inevitable punishment.

You see, the classroom was the only place he could be himself. And at first that freedom was so overwhelming that he became a holy terror. Still, love as a way of conquering all, and so Ms. Beaden was able to capture his heart as well. Every day when other parents would come to the classroom to pick up their child from school they would hug them and ooh and ahh over their stick figure drawings and macaroni and paste projects. Then they would leave together, smiling and holding hands… sometimes the father or mother would pick up their child and balance them on their hip as they left, both less than inch away from each other's faces, the adult engaging himself in his child's world.

Ari Grover was always the last one to pick up. One day, Zignafta had been a holy terror. He had thrown things, screamed, jumped up and down, climbed on top of the table tops and danced. As the end of the day approached he became sullen and quiet, and finally it was just he and Ms. Beaden alone in the room, waiting for Ari. Ms. Beaden was taking down their latest art project from the wall; a picture of your family.

"Here Ziggy," she said holding it out to him. "Why don't you take this home with you?"

Zignafta shook his head. "I don't want to," he said quietly as he looked out the window.

"Perhaps tomorrow?"

The boy shrugged.

Ms. Beaden turned back to the wall. Zignafta glanced out the window to where a child and a parent were walking down the sidewalk.

"Do all parents hug their kids?"

Ms. Beaden turned to him. "Hm?"

"Parents," Zignafta reiterated. "Do they always hug their kids?"

"Most of them do."

"Why?"

Ms. Beaden assessed him with a careful eye. "I suppose… it's because they love them."

"So if your parents don't hug you, does that mean they don't love you?"

Ms. Beaden's eyes softened. "No, not necessarily. Some people just don't like to touch one another."

Zignafta nodded slightly. Ms. Beaden knelt in front of him. She looked at the picture he drawn of his family.

"You have a very big family Ziggy," she said softly. "Is this your father?" she pointed to the man in the suit.

Zignafta nodded. "Yeah."

"And this is your mother… and your sister… Marisol is her name?" Ms. Beaden's fingers traced over the curls that he'd drawn on his own portrait's head. She looked at the woman standing beside Myron Myers. "And who's this? Is this another big sister?"

"No, that's my father's wife."

Ms. Beaden's eyes widened slightly as she looked up.

"I didn't know if I should draw her or Mari, but I see them every day so I did."

"Ah, I see." Ms. Beaden look at him closely. "Is that why you don't want to take your picture home? Are you afraid to show your Mommy?"

Ari had never been his Mommy and never would be. Zignafta shook his head.

"No. I didn't want to take it home because Mother makes me throw away all my artwork. She says that it clutters the house."

The first grade teacher smiled, through her eyes looked a little sad. She gently patted Zignafta's arm. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think it's a beautiful picture. A very honest picture. Don't you think so Ziggy?"

The boy shrugged.

"I love it. And I'd be honored if you'd let me take it home and put it on my refridgerator."

The little boy's eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Oh of course!" Ms. Beaden stood up. "I'll make sure I put it by my things so I don't forget it."

At that moment there was a knock at the door. Zignafta's expression darkened. The young teacher noticed.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning Ziggy," she reached out and ruffled his hair. "And I know you probably don't want to, but would you mind giving me a hug? You see, I live alone so I don't get very many of them."

Without hesitation the boy threw himself into his teacher's arms and hug her tightly. Ms. Beaden smiled as she hugged him back. Another sharp rap at the door made them both stop.

"I'll see you tomorrow Ziggy," Ms. Beaden said smiling as she stood up.

"Goodbye ma'am," the boy said smiling.

After that, Ms. Beaden never had any behavior problems with him again.


End file.
